In 2003, at age 55, I was diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer and immediately had surgery, followed by nine months of chemotherapy to treat it..
I didn’t tell anybody. I continued to work right after the operation, doing Little Black Book with Brittany Murphy. My agent at the time was very old-school and didn’t want me to be the poster child for ovarian cancer. I didn’t want anyone to know, but it really took a lot out of me.
My aunt had died from it, my mother had it, my niece had it and while I tested negative for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation that increases a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer it was “not a get out of jail free card.”
Though cancer-free, I began dealing with my biggest challenge yet: lymphedema, a disease that’s commonly caused by the removal of lymph nodes during cancer treatment. It causes extreme pain and swelling and has no cure. It’s a souvenir you don’t want. I really felt that life was over for me. I probably wouldn’t work again. I was angry for a long time.
In the summer of 2012 I felt like I was nearing rock bottom. Even so, I hoped for some kind of sign from the universe that her life was about to get better. Then a bird crashed into my window.
I was still reeling from NBC's spring cancellation of her series, Harry's Law, just months before when I started noticing strange pains in her abdomen. That past Christmas, just before we were canceled, I had been really exhausted. But I just chalked it up to all the work on the show, and I let months go by.
The new pain was finally enough of a red flag to send me to my doctor, who found that I had stage II breast cancer. With a strong family history of the disease I barely hesitated before deciding on a double mastectomy.
I continued to struggle with pain after the July 2012 surgery, which also required the removal of 19 lymph nodes. One of the tubes they put in on my left side must have been pressing on a nerve. The doctors were very leery of prescribing too much pain medication because of the risk of addiction -- so I was in a lot of pain for weeks and weeks -- and I was very angry, both about my diagnosis and about the show being canceled. It was an awful time.
Finally, a beautiful sunny summer day dawned. The painful tubes were out at last. I was sitting at my patio, enjoying the weather and hoping that things were finally looking up, when a tiny finch flew straight into the plate glass doors and crashed to the pavement.
I picked up this little bird. His head was hanging off my palm, and his feet were drawn up in agony. I sat down holding him and wishing so much that there was something I could do. After a minute or so, lo and behold, this little bird flipped over in my hand. I could feel his tiny claws. His head was up, and he was panting a little bit.(Cont'd at Right)
My niece, a breast cancer survivor herself, brought out a paper cup of water. The bird drank from it and then flew away. My niece said, 'Are you getting the message yet?' I asked what message she meant. She said, 'Life goes on You've been given another chance.' That was a very powerful lesson.
I decided to turn my frustration into good by helping raise awareness about lymphedema and became the National Spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN). We are working on getting a bill passed in New York that will mandate that hospitals have literature to inform patients about lymphedema.
I”ve learned to manage my own pain by wearing compression sleeves on my arms and losing 60 lbs. through exercise and a healthy diet.
Today my career continues with roles in the American Horror Story and the upcoming film On the Basis of Sex. Acting is my life force. I’ve considered getting breast reconstruction but don’t want to take time out of my busy schedule for surgery because I’m having too much fun.
My advice to women: Get regular checkups and stay healthy. Quit taking the damn selfies and worrying about what you look like. Instead, keep everything working and in good order.
Watch Stand Up To Cancer airing on networks including ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC and streaming live on PeopleTV Friday, September 7 at 8PM ET/PT. Go to PeopleTV.com or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite mobile or connected TV device.
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